Topic: Hope

What if the young man in the story of the prodigal son returned home to find that everyone had forgotten him? What if, instead of finding open arms, the young man found that his room had been turned into a storage space and his favorite pet had been sold for a little cash? What if he had found that everyone had already written him off and his presence was now more of a nuisance than anything? How long do you think he would have stuck around?

We all know that's not what happened though. In fact, one of the most endearing parts of the story is the undying hope of the father

What Does the Bible Say?

How do we know that the father held out hope for his son's return? "But while he [the son] was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him" (Luke 15:20, ESV). I'm not sure what's more surprising here, that the father actually saw the son while he was off in the distance or that the father recognized his son so far away. Whatever the case, it's clear that the father had been hoping for the day when his son would return home.

We can also see that it was love for his son that fueled the father's hope. The father wasn't waiting for a chance to say, "I told you so." He wasn't hoping for his son's return because the chores were now harder with one less set of hands. The father was overjoyed because he had never stopped loving his son. "For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found" (Luke 15:24, ESV).

For those of us today with prodigals in our lives, it's important to never give up hope that they'll return. If the father in the story had given up hope, he would have effectively closed the door in his son's face. He would have sent the message, "We're fine without you now."

And while you wait and hope, it's important to never let go of your love for your prodigal because once the Lord has done His work in the life of the wayward one, bringing him or her to repentance, the thing needed most (from you) is love, not judgment.

My Thoughts

As you read through Luke 15:12-24 think about the following questions:
1. Why is it hard to welcome back prodigals with open arms?

2. Someone once said, "Hope is not something you do, it's something you have." Why is it important to remember that distinction?

My Part

Being the parent of a prodigal can mean just as much soul-searching as being a prodigal yourself. How do you move past the hurt and the feelings of rejection? Today as you pray for your prodigal to come home, pray also that the Lord will prepare your heart for that day.